Going to the Oakland Senior Center this past Monday as part of meeting and socializing with the local senior community was a very fun and insightful experience. It was refreshing to meet these older women in a group setting, and a larger, more casual classroom-type environment, who all had a variety of different life experiences and stories, which gave many different perspectives to the stories that we read. There were also many enlightening conversations about the treatment and portrayal of older women in society, and how that does not align with their view of themselves, given that they view themselves as women and human before they see themselves as elderly, or vulnerable.
Myrna, Daphne, and Sharon were all lovely women in my group who I got to speak to and have a dialogue with around these topics. It was a meaningful interaction that gave me a lot of perspective I would not have had prior, given my lack of interaction with seniors in my everyday life, outside of my family. They had positive feedback surrounding both the book and short story we were assigned, which also lead to them opening up about their own life and family, and that was incredibly interesting to hear about. All these women had amazing and heartfelt stories to share with me and my group partner, Alex, that I felt very honored and grateful to hear, because they were so open to sharing with us. It was nice to also see how eager they were to know more about us and our opinions on topics they knew were more relevant to the younger generation.
Discussing everything from our family dynamics to the way we navigate our lives in society lead to some very animated conversations, and it was an amazing experience to be able to be a part of it and share with these women. It felt meaningful to give them the space to talk about these topics and know that they were confident we would hear them and really engage with what they had to say, from politics to current events and even the sort of media they enjoyed watching and interacting with on a regular basis.
I look forward to the future meetings we will have at the center, and with all the senior women who participate in our events, as they show a clear interest in wanting to interact with us as students of Mills College. The generational difference only amplifies our need for these conversations and brings a fun and compelling dynamic in our enjoyable and necessary discussions. Knowing that I will be able to meet so many different senior women from all walks of life has me already looking forward to our next monthly meeting. I also look forward to seeing the women who decide to come to our class and see what it is that we’re learning and discussing for the remainder of the semester. I’m sure there will be many more engaging and fulfilling subjects to learn within our curriculum and assignments.
Coming to Age 